Home › Weather News › National parks will be closed as extreme weather causes fire danger in the south of the state

Weather News

National parks will be closed as extreme weather causes fire danger in the south of the state

Friday January 10, 2014 - 17:37 EDT

Authorities warn high temperatures over the next few days could create extreme fire danger.
- ABC

Authorities are warning the Great Southern and lower Wheatbelt need to be on alert over the next few days, with sweltering conditions expected to create a serious fire danger.

Extreme weather is expected in many towns, from the weekend through to early next week.

In Lake Grace, the temperature is expected to hit 44 on Sunday, while other inland towns are expecting maximums in the low-40s through the weekend and mid-30s next week.

There are also thunderstorms forecast for some Great Southern and Wheatbelt areas on Sunday.

Daniel Austin from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said the situation is made more dangerous because many farmers are on holiday.

"It really depends on the situation you get faced with," he said.

"A fire at the right time may not be too hard to deal with, but clearly the more numbers we can get around a fire quickly and safely, it helps us put those fires out much faster."

"The Upper Great Southern, Roe, Beaufort, Lakes and Stirling districts, preliminary indications a few days out are talking extreme fire danger ratings, so that's a fire danger index of between 75 and 100.

"That means fire will be quite difficult, in fact very difficult to contain once it's on the ground."

Authorities are warning the Great Southern and lower Wheatbelt need to be on alert over the next few days, with sweltering conditions expected to create a serious fire danger.

Extreme weather is expected in many towns, from the weekend through to early next week.

In Lake Grace, the temperature is expected to hit 44 on Sunday, while other inland towns are expecting maximums in the low-40s through the weekend and mid-30s next week.

There are also thunderstorms forecast for some Great Southern and Wheatbelt areas on Sunday.

Daniel Austin from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said the situation is made more dangerous because many farmers are on holiday.

"It really depends on the situation you get faced with," he said.

"A fire at the right time may not be too hard to deal with, but clearly the more numbers we can get around a fire quickly and safely, it helps us put those fires out much faster."

"The Upper Great Southern, Roe, Beaufort, Lakes and Stirling districts, preliminary indications a few days out are talking extreme fire danger ratings, so that's a fire danger index of between 75 and 100.

"That means fire will be quite difficult, in fact very difficult to contain once it's on the ground."

The Department of Parks and Wildlife has closed more than a dozen national parks in and around Perth as the city endures blistering temperatures.

Use the Search Bar above

Click "Set My Local"

Parts of NSW have been buffeted by high winds, with two people injured by flying building cladding, glass left shattered in a CBD high-rise, wires on the rail line damaged and Sydney Airport forced to cancel flights.